How to Be Successful as a Chef

A qualification from a culinary school doesn't automatically give you what it takes to become a successful chef. You'll obviously need to be able to put a decent meal together, but you must also possess a range of other skills if you're going to make it to the top of your chosen profession. Some of these you'll be able to pick up, while others will have to come from within you.

Culinary Skills

Your chances of experiencing a successful career as a chef won't be great if you can't cook. To learn your trade, attend a culinary college or look for a paid or unpaid apprenticeship. Many chefs work their way up from lower-level kitchen positions, such as line cooks or dishwashers, learning their skills from the qualified chefs they work for, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Equip yourself with knife skills, knowledge of how to season food properly and patisserie skills to succeed.

Work Ethic and Stamina

Ensure that you have the stamina to be a chef. If you can't stand the heat, it's best not to enter the kitchen in the first place. Chefs work long hours in what can be a punishing environment. You can expect to regularly put in 12-hour shifts, including weekends, evenings and public holidays, if you choose cooking as a career. Cooks are under constant pressure to deliver food fast without sacrificing quality; stand on their feet for long hours; risk cuts and burns from kitchen equipment; and are exposed to noise, heat, smoke and fumes.

Business Acumen

Head cooks and chefs made a mean annual salary of $46,600 in May 2011, according to the BLS. To earn higher salaries, you must have a head for business and perhaps even some media skills. British restaurateur Gordon Ramsay was crowned Forbes highest-earning chef in July 2012, with annual earnings of $38 million. TV cook Rachael Ray came in second, after earning $25 million in one year. Although few in the profession can hope to reach these dizzying heights, you'll increase your earning potential considerably by opening your own restaurant and finding other creative ways to exploit your skills. Consider signing up for a business course if you're lacking in this area.

Management Skills

As well as creating dishes, ordering ingredients and preparing food, chefs need to be able to manage their kitchen staff. Ensuring each service runs efficiently is no mean feat. Chefs need to make sure each member of their staff is working as part of a team to get meals out on time. This requires good time-management skills. Chefs also need to be able communicate effectively with kitchen workers and front-of-house staff alike, and not be afraid of meting out discipline where it's needed.

Resource: http://work.chron.com/

What Type of Chef Can I Become? Cooking Schools and Careers

Many chefs begin with little more than a love for food, creativity, and a dream to share their creativity through new and innovative combinations of flavors. A chef is an individual who cooks for other people as a profession and is responsible for the creation of new food dishes, but “chef” is not the title of only one job. A commercial kitchen has a hierarchy of duties that must be completed, and there are different variations of chefs that are trained to specialize in these different tasks.

Line Cook

People who enjoy working with one specific menu item, such as salads, meat, or appetizer creation, may be suited to perform as a line cook. A line cook, who may also be called a “station chef”, is the chef designated to take charge of a certain area of food production, such as meat or salad preparation, and is responsible for much of the cooking in a commercial kitchen. Line cooks may have a few assistants to help with food preparation, but in the majority of kitchens, line cooks work independently in their department. In some kitchens, titles like First, Second, or Third Cook are assigned to help clarify the kitchen hierarchy.

• Interview with a Line Cook – Payson Cushman, a line cook at Momofuku Ssäm in New York City, provides answers to some basic questions of what goes on in the day-to-day life of a line cook, and how he began on his career path.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics – The BLS covers average expected wage earnings, required training, and information about the skills necessary to become a chef or food preparation worker.
• Salary Calculator – Not all chef positions are created equal, and there are different components that can influence a chef’s salary. The American Culinary Federation provides a free and comprehensive salary calculator to help gain a ballpark understanding of pay potential.

Pastry Chef

For those who have a sweet tooth, the position of pastry chef may be most desirable. In a traditional commercial kitchen, a pastry chef is the line cook in charge of and trained in the production of desserts, pastries, and breads. Pastry chefs are found everywhere from fine restaurants to small cafés, and spend their time developing recipes, refining the dessert menu, and preparing food for the workday.

• Explore It!: Pastry Chef – This comprehensive site provides a basic description of what’s necessary to become a pastry chef as well as typical education requirements for the position.
• 12 Questions for Ray Works – Ray Works is the executive pastry chef of UCLA, and in this interview, he describes what his day is like, how he got a job as a pastry chef, and what pastry production entails.
• Cake Decorating (and Why It's Tricky) – Decorating cakes may seem glamorous and fun, but according to lead pastry instructor of The International Culinary School, there’s a reality that needs to be addressed before dreams of being the next Cake Boss can begin.

Sous Chef

The Sous Chef is, in essence, the second-in-command of the kitchen. A Sous Chef will act as assistant to the Executive Chef and a replacement or assistant to line cooks as necessary, and is therefore expected to know their way around all areas of food production. In some cases, a Sous Chef will also be in charge of scheduling shifts or other similar managerial duties.

• Day in the Life of a Sous-Chef – This article from Hcareers clarifies what is expected of a Sous Chef, and what roles a Sous Chef is expected to cover in the kitchen.
• Example Job Description – The Milpitas Unified School District provides this sample listing of the expected requirements and responsibilities for a Sous Chef.
• What’s a Sous Chef? – The Learning Channel answers this question and other queries about a position as a Sous Chef in this article by Josh Clark.

Executive Chef

Working as an Executive Chef is an excellent option for those who are managerially-minded, and who are flexible in terms of daily expectations and operations. The Executive Chef is the chef who directs the day-to-day operation of the kitchen. They are often in charge of menu creation, plating design and layout, recipe production, and management of kitchen staff.

• Example Job Description – The Association of College Unions International provides an example Executive Chef job description, which gives a more detailed idea of what is required of an Executive Chef.
• Three Roads to Executive Chef – There are endless possibilities for becoming an executive chef, and Daniel M. Pliska, CEC, helps narrow it down.
• Cooking and Working with Passion – Corporate Executive Chef Steve Floyd offers advice for future culinary students, as well as a timeline of his own path towards becoming a chef.

Personal Chef

For those individuals who find the stress and adrenaline of a commercial kitchen undesirable, there is the option of working as a personal chef. A personal chef is a chef who will prepare meals for a specific client or customer, often in the customer’s private kitchen, in accordance to the client’s dietary needs or preferences. Personal chefs are self-directed, and manage their own hours of work, shopping, food preparation, service throughout the meal, and cleanup. A personal chef may cook for an individual or a dinner party consisting of multiple guests, and may be called upon to provide meal planning for families.

• United States Personal Chef Association – Since a personal chef is self-directed, the USPCA provides a code of ethics that may be followed to ensure professionally guided customer service and excellence.
• Personal Chef to Royalty – Kristianne Uy serves as executive personal chef to the royal family of Saudi Arabia, and discusses her life as a home chef in this interview.
• Personal vs. Professional – This article from Le Cordon Bleu compares the differences between a personal chef and a professional chef.

Resource: bigoven.com

Types of Professional Chefs

There’s more than just a chef in the kitchen. Most professional kitchen staffs have a clear hierarchy, just as any office team would. Whether you need an entry-level job or are experienced enough to be the boss, there are enough types of professional chef positions that you are sure to find one that best suits your skills.

Head Chef

The head chef, also known as the executive chef or chef de cuisine, is the top man on the kitchen totem pole. This position is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the kitchen, including day-to-day food preparation and menu creation. He manages the rest of the kitchen workers, and may even be responsible for hiring them. Head chefs generally have a minimum of one to five years of kitchen experience, and many have graduated from culinary school. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for this position is roughly $40,000 per year, although that can vary depending on the size of the restaurant and geographic location.

Sous Chef

A sous chef is the head chef’s right-hand man. He is responsible for overseeing the small details of kitchen operations and food preparation, and steps in for the head chef when he is not available. If the size of the kitchen warrants it, a head chef may hire more than one sous chef to be sure everything runs smoothly. A sous chef’s salary is slightly lower than a head chef's, but higher than most other kitchen positions.

Line Chef

Line chefs, also known as line cooks, are the workhorses of the kitchen. While the head chef and sous chef do the planning and managing, line chefs are responsible for most food preparation and cooking, and many are responsible for cleaning the kitchen at the end of night as well. In large restaurants, each line chef is responsible for one or more stations, such as the grill or fryer, or they may be responsible for specific sections of the meal, such as salads, garnishes or meat. The median annual salary for a line cook is roughly $20,000 per year.

Personal Chef

Experienced and trained chefs sometimes work as personal chefs. In this role, they plan, shop and prepare meals for an individual, family or employees of non-food-related businesses. They usually prepare the meals on site, and may even travel with the employer when necessary. This position is lucrative, and is considered the highest-paid chef position. Full-time personal chefs often make $55,000 per year, although many make much more than that.

Other Chef Positions

In larger restaurants, there are positions that are a bit different than your typical chef. A garde manger is responsible for preparation of cold dishes. The job of a boucher is much like a butcher; he is responsible for preparing the meat and poultry before delivering it to the chefs. A patissier, or pastry chef, is in charge of preparing desserts. Some restaurants require chefs that specialize in one area. A senior chef, or chef de partie, is usually responsible for one particular menu specialty. A demi chef is even more specialized, responsible for one type of dish, such as sushi. The main difference between a demi chef and chef de partie is that the chef de partie usually manages a small staff. Many kitchens also have a commis chef, which is basically a paid internship.

Resource: http://work.chron.com/

12 Types of Chefs You Need To Know About

Who Does What In a Restaurant Kitchen?

Just as the teaching profession has a variety of subjects to cover and there are more types of lawyers than most of us can count, becoming a chef comes with different choices. You can have dreams of becoming an executive chef, the mastermind behind the kitchen, but the path to get there is filled with jobs like patissier, sous chef, and even saucier – many of which are viable, well-paying careers all on their own.

Executive Chef (Chef de Cuisine)

The executive chef is the boss of the kitchen. There is usually only one per restaurant (or chain), so the competition to get to the top of the field is fierce, and it can take years of formal training at a culinary school as well as decades of experience to land the job of your dream. As executive chef, you rarely worry about the details of food preparation, instead acting as the overseer, keeping the kitchen running smoothly and planning the menu with new dishes that you devise.

Sous Chef

The sous chef is the right hand of the executive chef, and there can be more than one. These professionals do a lot more of the micromanaging in the kitchen, seeing to the details of each dish and working in the trenches to make sure everything is properly prepared.

Pastry Chef (Patissier)

In most cases, becoming a patissier requires a different type of culinary training, usually at a baking school or in a baking program rather than a straightforward culinary school. The bulk of this work is centered around pastries, breads, and desserts, and depending on where you work, you could become the equivalent of an executive chef.

Station Chef (Chef de Partie)

The station chef is usually in charge of just one part of the kitchen: for example, the soups, the salads, or the grill. They work under the sous chef or executive chef to make sure all food prepared and put out of their station is of the highest level for quality and appearance.

Saucier

The saucier’s sole responsibility is to prepare the sauces. Although it might not sound like much, certain types of cuisine (particularly French) are all about the sauce.

Fish Cook (Poissonier)

The poissonier works with seafood, both in preparation and in cooking.

Vegetable Cook (Entremetier)

The entremetier can take on a variety of roles, depending on the type of cuisine. For the most part, he or she deals in soups, vegetables, potatoes and rice, and egg dishes

Meat Cook (Rotisseur)

The rotisseur is the mastermind of meat. From roasting and braising to broiling and grilling, the rotisseur does it all. In many cases, the tasks will overlap with those of the saucier, especially when it comes to gravies.

Fry Cook

When a restaurant has a heavy dependency on a frier (for french fries and many Southern delicacies), a fry cook may be employed to cover the station.

Pantry Chef (Gard Manger)

The pantry chef is in charge of all cold items, from salad and hors d’oevres to cold sauces and dressings. One big aspect of this job is making the food appear presentable.

Line Cook (Commis)

The line cook is typically an entry-level position in which you work alongside the rest of the kitchen doing what needs to be done. You may cut vegetables one day and plate dishes on another. It is a fast-paced position with plenty of room for upward mobility.

Expediter

The expediter is the bridge between the kitchen and the waitstaff. These individuals are the last line of food preparation before the plate reaches the table, and are responsible for delivering the plate either via their own hands or that of the waiter. This position is often taken over by the executive chef him or herself, especially when it’s vital to ensure that the dish is perfect before it goes out.

No matter where you start out and what your specialty, there is a place for you in the culinary world. And with the right training and dedication, you could be just a few years away from an upper-level position where respect and better pay await your command.

Resource: reluctantgourmet.com

10 Most Famous Chefs in the World

Ever wonder who the most famous chefs in the world are?  You might be surprised!

We summed up the number of people searching Google for specific celebrity chefs. World-renowned French chef andrestaurateur Joël Robuchon didn't even make the top 10 list.  Jamie Oliver, akaThe Naked Chef, was far and away the most searched for chef on the Internet.  

Here's our full list of the 10 most searched for chefs on the Internet.

 Jamie Oliver - The Naked Chef

 Gordon Ramsey - Hell's Kitchen

 Rachael Ray - Food Network Queen

 Bobby Flay - BBQ Throw Down

 Wolfgang Puck - Restarant Tycoon

 Giada De Laurentiis - Everyday Italian

 Sandra Lee - Semi Homemade Cooking Author

 Mario Batali - Iron Chef champion

 Emeril Lagasse - "Kick it up a notch"

 Jacques Pepin - Famed French chef

Resource: zimbio.com

Executive Chef Job Description, Salary and Career Information

Essential Information

Executive chefs supervise other kitchen personnel and are responsible for making the administrative decisions for a restaurant. They often work long hours, with 12-hour days being common. Work experience is the most important requirement for executive chef positions, though a bachelor's degree in culinary arts or a related hospitality field is recommended; associate's degree programs are another option. Voluntary certification is available from the American Culinary Federation.

Required Education	None specified, though bachelor's degrees are increasingly common; associate's degrees are also available
Other Requirements	7-8 years of work experience for executive positions
Certification	Voluntary
Projected Job Growth (2012-2022)	5% for all chefs and head cooks*
Median Salary (2014)	$54,881**

Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, **PayScale.com

Executive Chef Job Description

Executive chefs work for restaurants and make most of the administrative decisions. They may review food and beverage purchases, develop and standardize recipes, maintain safety and sanitation in the kitchen, maintain equipment, design food presentation aesthetics, plan and prepare special menu items, choose menu designs and determine menu prices. They may also be in charge of interviewing, hiring and training new kitchen personnel.

Additionally, executive chefs supervise all kitchen workers. They give performance reviews, grant pay increases and take disciplinary action when necessary. Executive chefs may also help prepare meals in the kitchen and delegate work to other chefs and cooks during the restaurant's busy times. At the end of the work day, executive chefs oversee clean up and record the day's sales.

Executive Chef Salary and Career Outlook

According to PayScale.com, as of 2014, executive chefs earned median salaries of $54,881. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest number of chefs and head cooks were employed by restaurants, followed by travel companies and special food services. Jobs were predicted to increase by 5% from 2012-2022, due to the increased use of lower-level employees to do a lot of the work.

Executive Chef Career Information

Since executive chefs hold a high position in the culinary industry, they are usually required to have 7-8 years of previous related experience. Valuable work experiences include managing food and labor costs, developing and pricing menus, leading a culinary team and demonstrating food preparation skills.

Ideally, executive chefs should have a bachelor's degree in the culinary arts or in a related area, such as hospitality. Many chefs have only a 2-year degree and rely on additional work experience to improve their career opportunities. Other chefs get their start through on-the-job training or apprenticeship programs and work their way up without completing any formal education.

Personal characteristics that are important for executive chefs to have include good customer service skills, the ability to lead and manage a diverse group of people. They should also be creative and have a keen sense of smell and taste. All chefs should have good personal hygiene since they must work in sanitary conditions and many states require proof that they are free of communicable diseases.

A Certified Executive Chef (CEC) designation is offered by the American Culinary Federation. Although it is not required, certification can help executive chefs move into advanced positions and can lead to higher paying jobs. Those who have at least three years of experience as a chef and a high school diploma or equivalent qualify to test for CEC certification. An aspiring CEC must pass both a written and practical examination. Continuing education is necessary to maintain certification, and recertification is required every five years.

Resource: http://study.com/

20 Tips for How to Be a Better Home Cook

We're never finished honing our craft as cooks, so here are 20 new tips for you to remember.

Do you think Julia Child scoffed at the sound of someone giving her a cooking tip while she worked in her kitchen? Would José Andrés fire his chef de cuisine on the spot for suggesting something new on the menu? Do you think James Beard never had a question about a technique?We don’t think so, and we don’t think that any other legendary culinarian would act in this way, either, because learning the craft of the culinary arts is never complete. With varying opinions, different training, and new techniques and ingredients being introduced every single day, there is never an old tip or suggestion when it comes to cooking, and we as cooks are committed to an unending quest to discover how to be better in the kitchen.

The Cook editors at The Daily Meal never stop asking questions about cooking. In fact, we have contributorstelling us new tricks of the trade on a daily basis. While cooking advice can be narrowed down to the most specific questions (like, say,how do you use a pressure cooker?), we also want to know what those overarching skills and qualities are that make so many talented chefs, cookbook authors, and bloggers as great as they are today.

Want to know how we found out? We just asked them, and now we have a neat and easy list of their thoughts for you to refer to. We didn’t just go to one expert, but to several, from big names like TV personality Sara Moulton and legendary inventors likeNathan Myhrvold to talented and hard-working chefs that are, probably right now in fact, ferociously working away at the stove to create beautiful and delicious masterpieces with food.

These tips range in topic and scope; some are ones you should remember every single time you’re in the kitchen (like salt!), and others are things like roasting a chicken, because if you don’t know how to do it, then you can just forget about being a good cook. Some had us going "right, right…" and others had us raising an eyebrow, but at the end of the day, the tips listed here are things that we think you should know (and pass along to others) if you ever want to join the ranks of Child, Andrés, and Beard. So put your pride aside for a moment and take a look, we think some might surprise you. 

Resource: thedailymeal.com

Top 10 Tips - Become a Better Cook Read

Everyone wants to become better in any skill they have. Cooking is no exception. Even if you think you are hopeless in the kitchen; like everything else, practice and increasing your knowledge makes perfect. Just relax and pretend that you are playing with the ingredients and you will realize that cooking is not such a daunting task. The following are All Nigerian Food Recipes' top 10 tips to becoming a better cook.

1. Add to what you know

Constantly increasing your knowledge of cooking is important because you already know the basics of cooking and you are interested in improving your skills. Search for recipes on the web and in cookery books, read them through even if it is a recipe for a meal you think you have perfected. With Nigerian food recipes, and any other world recipe, there are often many ways to cook a meal and achieve the same results. So there's always something new to learn.

When you eat a familiar meal and you notice an improvement in the taste, it is good to ask the cook what he/she did to achieve that.

2. Timing

This is one of the top tips of how to become a better cook because you may know all the ingredients you need, spend a lot of money on premium ingredients but get the timing wrong and all the money and time spent goes to nothing. Knowing the right time to add certain ingredients goes a long way to making your food taste better.

3. Organisation

Some things need to be done before you even light up the stove for example; you can take your time and cut up every vegetable that needs to be chopped, place them in separate bowls and set aside. This is so that once it is time to add these, it will be a matter of putting them into the pot rather than hurriedly washing and cutting them up just before you add them.

4. Attention to detail

Watch out for how your cooking can benefit from low, medium or high heat. Sometimes, you need high heat to get that white rice to dry quicker as medium heat will cause it to become soggy.

5. Have the basic tools you need

Something as basic as a chopping board is essential in the kitchen. It will help you cut the carrots or green bell pepper better as opposed to doing these without. It may be worth investing in that expensive blender because it gives you the best tomato puree etc.

6. Plan Ahead

It is a good idea to plan what you want to cook well ahead of time. This is so that you can be sure to buy all the necessary ingredients for preparing the recipe.

7. Choose your time carefully

It is best to cook when you are sure you will have minimal distraction. Do not plan to cook when your favourite TV programme is on air or on a day you brought some work home. The less you are distracted from your cooking, the better attention you will pay to the preparation of the meal. This way, there will be no burnt/overcooked meals later!

8. Give yourself plenty of time

Always give yourself plenty of time to cook your chosen recipe. With practice, you can estimate the time it will take to cook, say, a pot of fried rice before it is meal time. This way, you will not need to rush through your cooking. Also, if you invited friends over for a meal, you do not want to be dashing to and from the kitchen when you should be talking with your visitors.

9. Be adventurous in the kitchen

Feel free to throw a few vegetables in the frying pan to make your very own gravy. You can start by using your favourite vegetables, then eliminate and substitute later if you feel that some of them do not fit in the mix due to their taste or texture. Soon, you will be wowing your friends and family with a recipe that started as a concoction! Remember, it is your kitchen so play with the ingredients as much as you want.

10. Often does it

Practice, they say, makes perfect. The more often you cook, the more you learn new and better ways of the art of cooking. The frequency of cooking also boosts your confidence in the kitchen. Let's say you cook Jollof Rice every weekend, you will be perfecting on the different stages of the cooking such as parboiling the rice more than if you cook it only once every 2 months.

We hope that at least one of the above tips will help you in your quest to become a better cook. Happy Cooking!

Resource: allnigerianrecipes.com

This is what it takes to become a chef in Ireland today

WHEN I FIRST started in the industry, I was one of 40 chefs in a kitchen. Today, the average number of chefs in the restaurant kitchens across Ireland has dramatically reduced, most now operate with only five team members.

Various factors impacted on our sector momentously over the past few years and in order to survive restaurateurs and chefs had to re-adapt, some changes were for the betterment of our industry but some have the potential to throw our reputation as a good food nation into question.

One of the reasons we at the School of Food decided to create a professional chef training course was to help tackle the shortage of such chefs in Ireland. Recent figures from the Restaurant Association of Ireland revealed an urgent need for 5,000 new professional chefs each year by 2020.

In 2014, over 24,000 chefs were employed in Ireland and the majority of jobs in the hospitality sector directly relate to the food services sector so the fact that each year, just 1,800 chefs qualify from certified culinary training programmes – it’s worrying for the industry.

The right stuff

However the main reason we wanted to develop this course was to provide our colleagues; the restaurateur, the hotelier, the Head Chef / Owner, with actual kitchen-ready individuals who can continue to grow upon our excellent food reputation.

Source: Shutterstock/Cristi Lucaci

What does it take to become a Chef? First of all, the reality of being a chef reaches much further than creating picture-ready, aesthetic looking food master-pieces that rocket their way through social media channels. All chefs need a high degree of training and professional experience before they are able to manage and maintain their own operation.

The only option at the moment for a professional qualification as a chef is via the academic route where most students pursue a culinary arts degree with an Institute of Technology or Vocational Community College.

These courses, by nature, tend to be based upon an academic outlook; prospective chefs take modules in culinary techniques, pastry, baking and desserts, food and nutrition, food science, meal service and international cuisines to name a few.

Vocation

Becoming and being a chef, a real hands-on and in-it-to-win-it chef, is not for the faint hearted. To a degree, it involves putting on your thick skin each morning and persevering because you believe in what you are doing and have a constant hunger to keep improving, learning and cooking food that makes people go mmmmmm! The greatest qualities an individual entering into the industry can have are stamina, dedication, patience and a strong threshold for stress!

It’s a vocation. This is one of the few industries that you can’t apply a ‘fake it, till you make it’ philosophy. The passion is inherently there and that’s why it’s so important we commit to ensuring those entering our kitchens receive a solid and practical foundation, based on what those in the industry are telling us we need.

Source: Shutterstock/White78

Although formal programmes are a great source of training, much of a chef’s education comes from on-the job experience and mentoring. It is through their professional experience that chefs develop their keen sense of taste and smell and cultivate their creativity and skills.

Would-be chefs need the type of skills that will allow them to hit the ground running in the real world environment of a kitchen. This course will act as a pipeline for hotel and restaurant kitchens dedicated to food excellence.

Training Programme

The School of Food training programme will be 70 per cent work-based learning, where we will be teaming up with restaurants across the South East to place our students and 30 per cent classroom based theory.

This is the type of training programme our industry is demanding and as a small community-led initiative, we’re proud to launch an internationally recognised and certified course where students will get a real taste of life on the kitchen front-line.

We are very much a learner focused centre and our students will be equipped with the skills and confidence needed to make a seamless transition into the workplace. Our students will succeed and make a genuine contribution to the industry because of our competency based approaches to learning and training.

Resource: thejournal.ie

What Kind of Schooling Does One Need to Be a Chef?

If food fascinates you and feeding people makes you happy, you might have a vocation for being a chef, but it takes more than that to turn your passion into a career. Not all chefs need a formal education, but it can give you skills that employers find valuable. Regardless of whether you start your first job with a culinary degree in hand or just a high school diploma, you will start out in an entry-level position cooking on the line.

Basic Requirements

Many employers require a high school diploma or GED, but it is possible to start out without either. Some chefs begin by washing dishes, and then move into prep cook positions and on up as they gain experience and skills. O-Net Online notes that 20 percent of chefs surveyed in 2010 did not have a high school diploma, while 39 percent only had a high school education. Some employers value a willingness to do any job, the desire to learn and the ability to work hard more than a formal education.

Formal Education

Culinary school or programs offered at community or vocational colleges can give you the skills you need as a chef. A two-year degree is typical, but some programs last up to four years. While a degree isn't always necessary, and it's possible to learn everything about cooking on the job, many culinary programs teach related skills that are sometimes harder to come by through work experience. These can include inventory management, basic accounting and the nuts and bolts of running a restaurant. If your long-term plans include being an executive chef or running your own restaurant, a well-rounded culinary education is useful.

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship program offered by a professional association, such as the American Culinary Federation, or a culinary school, is a good way to combine formal education and actual work experience. Typically when you sign up for an apprenticeship program you're matched with a restaurant or other food service organization and work for wages in a variety of positions. You also spend time in a classroom during the program, which generally lasts from two to three years.

Hybrid Path

A full, formal culinary education is often an expensive undertaking, but it can also teach you skills that might take even longer to learn on the job. For example, sous chefs don't often get the chance to work in pastry. However, another option is to work at your trade and concurrently take classes that advance your skills without going for a degree. This works especially well if you want to specialize in a technique or cuisine, just want to take classes as needed and don't need formal training in some areas.

Resource: http://work.chron.com/

How to Become a Professional Chef / Caterer at Home Without Culinary School

To become a professional chef at home, you should;

1. Be passionate about food

You just have to love food to become a professional chef and i don’t mean you must be a glutton. What i mean is that you have to enjoy cooking. Being a professional chef means spending hours on end in the kitchen preparing food and if you don’t have a passion for cooking, you will drop the idea of being a chef within a short period.

So your first assignment when you want to become a professional caterer is to fall in love with food. Cook different meals for your family and friends. Host parties regularly and prepare meals for your guests. You can even offer to be in charge of cooking at gatherings of your friends and family members. If you want to become a professional chef at home, then eating at restaurants or ordering take-outs should not be a regular practice in your home.

2. Experiment with food regularly-:You see, as a professional chef, food is your art. You need to experiment with food constantly. Cook different meals, try something new daily even if it doesn’t taste nice. Constant practice would help you improve on your skills eventually.

3. Understand the concept of food substitution

There are no rules set in stone when it comes to cooking. If a particular ingredient doesn’t work quite well for you, who says you cannot substitute with another ingredient? The key lies with knowing what works for you and doing accordingly. If a recipe says ‘fry‘ who says you cannot grill if that is how you prefer to cook your chicken?

But the key to substitution is to understand the whole concept behind it in the first place. For instance, if the recipe says you should fry the chicken, you need to understand why you were asked to fry the chicken because that is when you will be able to say ‘oh, grilling the kitchen would also work and the food would turn out the same way whether i grill or i fry’4. Cook often

Yes, I am going to reiterate this very important point again. To become a professional chef at home, you must cook at home regularly and this does not mean cooking regular family meals; you must cook like a professional regularly. You can choose a day of the week, preferably weekends to do your thing.

Pick out one recipe per week and prepare the dish and serve it professionally. You don’t have to cook for a whole large crowd. If you have a large family, you don’t even have to cook for everyone. Just make sure you cook and serve a new meal every week and before you know it, you will become extremely good at your chosen professional.

5. Organize food tastings

To become a successful professional chef at home, you must be ready to listen to criticisms and make necessary adjustments. This would help you to be a better chef. Pick out someone or a group of people that you trust to give an unbiased opinion of your skills and invite them over to your house for food tastings.

6. Develop your own recipes

Another thing that would help you on your journey to becoming a professional chef is to develop recipes of your own. I saw a popular movie series sometime ago, desperate housewives and in one of the seasons, one of the characters loved cooking so much and she started developing her own recipes. Her recipes became so popular that her friends would usually come to her to borrow or even ‘steal’ some of the recipes. Eventually, she was able to launch her own professional catering business just from developing recipes.

You too can take a step in that direction and develop recipes. You can create a blog where you can share those recipes or publish them in magazines regularly. You can even do that on social network. This would make your business very popular and increase your chances of becoming a professional chef.

7. Start a home-based restaurant

You can map out a small space in your home and use it as a restaurant. Inform your family and friends and encourage them to patronize you and refer others. You could entice them with freebies and discounts. You can create a kind of romantic atmosphere with scented candles, soft music and good food so that lovers can come and have a private moment at your home based restaurant. You will be surprised at how fast your business would grow just by doing this.

8. Advertise

Advertising is the sole of business. That sounds very cliché though. You already know that so why not start advertising your business vigorously at this point? Let your Facebook friends know that you are now a professional chef and you have a restaurant at home, inform your twitter followers, put it on your LinkedIn profile, create a business website, Just do whatever it takes to increase awareness of your services and boost patronage.

9. Send out your CVs

When you have gained enough experience and you are sure that you can handle being a professional chef, you should start applying for jobs as a professional chef, so that you can gain professional hands-on experience required to boost your career profile.

10. Get trained and certified

Yes, you are now a professional chef, hurray! That doesn’t mean that you should totally forget all about training and certification. When you have made enough money, go to school and learn more; so that you can compete with the best professional chefs’ anywhere in the world.

Resource: mytopbusinessideas.com

TOP 5 REASONS TO BECOME A CHEF COOK

Chef Career Overview

Chef Cooks and Culinary Chefs usually work in settings such as restaurants, cafes, and corporate cafeterias. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of Chef Cooks and Culinary Chefs is projected to grow from 2010 to 2020.

So what makes a career as a chef so much in demand? In one single answer: the love of food! Nevertheless, we bring you the top 5 reasons to consider a career as a chef cook or culinary chef:

Reason 1: Job Growth and Prospects

Chef cooks and culinary chefs held about 100,600 jobs in 2010. Nearly 20 percent of those following chef careers were in the younger age group, falling between the ages of 16 and 19 years old.

The median annual wage of chef cooks and culinary chefs was $40,630 in May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,260, and the top 10 percent earned more than $70,960.

The level of pay for chef cooks and culinary chefs varies greatly by region and employer. The pay is usually highest in upscale restaurants and hotels, where many chef cooks and culinary chefs are employed, as well as in major metropolitan, tourist and resort areas.

Reason 2: Unleash your Creativity

If the smell and sight of food moves your senses, if you enjoy picking up the spoons and the ladles, if you love the clink of the pots; then a career as a chef might just be your calling. This career pays you for using your creative culinary skills and for you to use this creativity to experiment and create recipes that are a treat for the senses- sight, smell and taste.

Reason 3: Enjoy the Prestige of Being a Chef

A well experienced and creative chef can become well recognized all over the world. This may take time, skill and experience. However, once you reach that stage, the prestige, praise and recognition is quite exciting. There are some chefs who opt to cook for movie celebrities and top politicians. Chefs can make life long impressions, and are becoming a major part of the parties of the rich and famous, get-togethers, marriages and many other important events.

In the hotel industry, a top chef is valued very highly; he/she is highly paid and respected. Chefs, unlike so many other professions, get almost instant credit and praise.

Reason 4: Opportunity to Travel all over the World

Many famous culinary chefs travel all over the world to taste, experience and learn the culinary specialties across the world. Many top five star hotels and resorts invite chefs, on a regular basis, across the world. Chefs can participate in various cooking contests and conduct cooking shows in various television channels across the world, the list is endless! There are even culinary and chef cook schools that run exchange programs with similar schools across the globe, to give you that international culinary exposure.

Reason 5: Professional Satisfaction

If you have a passion for using your culinary skills to cook up a dish, you would know that the ultimate satisfaction is to see someone devouring your creation and to get immense pleasure and satisfaction seeing their faces.

However, the work schedule and hours for those in the culinary field can be taxing, extended and grueling. The shift schedules for chef cooks and culinary chefs include early mornings, late nights, weekends, and holidays. Most chef cooks and culinary chefs work more than 10 hours, as they oversee a lot of food handling and ordering activity apart from the cooking. If you feel that it is all worth it, this career option is definitely for you!

Resource: http://trainingfyi.com/